Synopses & Reviews
On Saturday, April 26, 2003, Aron Ralston, a twenty-seven-year old outdoorsman, set off for a day's hiking in the Utah canyons. Dressed in a t-shirt and shorts, and with a single bottle of water, he figured he'd hike for a few hours and then head back to his regular life as a fledgling tour guide. After years of climbing every mountain imaginable, this Sunday jaunt didn't even rate--he never even bothered to tell anyone where he was going. Eight miles from his truck, Aron found himself in the middle of a deep and obscure canyon, on top of an 800-pound boulder. Little could he know that he was at the start of a terrifying, life-altering ordeal. In a freak accident, Aron Ralston became trapped when the boulder shifted and snared his right arm against the canyon wall. For five and a half days he faced hypothermia at night, dehydration and hallucinations by day; he took video film of himself, and digital photos; he thought back to the life he'd led, and the people he cared so much about. And then, on May 1st, he finally faced the most terrible decision of his life: his only hope was to amputate his own arm. A story unlike any other, Aron's account of his life leading up to the accident, the accident itself, the five and a half days, the amputation, and the subsequent rescue and recovery, take on an epic quality in this stirring, real-life adventure. Combining the power of a Jon Krakauer adventure with a stunning survival tale in the vein of "Icebound, this is inspiring narrative nonfiction at its most compelling.
Synopsis
"Icebound" meets "Into Thin Air" in this astonishing, day-by-day account of Ralston's terrible accident, self-amputation, and subsequent rescue and recovery. Abridged. 5 CDs
Synopsis
"It's 3:05 on Sunday, April 27, 2003. This marks my twenty-four-hour mark of being stuck in Blue John Canyon. My name is Aron Ralston. My parents are Donna and Larry Ralston, of Englewood, Colorado. Whoever finds this, please make an attempt to get this to them. Be sure of it. I would appreciate it."
One of the most extraordinary survival stories ever told -- Aron Ralston's searing account of his six days trapped in one of the most remote spots in America, and how one inspired act of bravery brought him home.
It started out as a simple hike in the Utah canyonlands on a warm Saturday afternoon. For Aron Ralston, a mountaineer and outdoorsman, a walk into the remote Blue John Canyon was a chance to find himself in his element: alone, with just the beauty of the natural world around him.
In a deep and narrow slot canyon, Aron was climbing down off a wedged 800-pound boulder when it terrifyingly came loose, pinning his right hand and wrist against the canyon wall.
What does one do in the face of almost certain death? The knowledge of his family's and friends' love kept him alive, until a divine inspiration on Thursday morning solved the riddle of the boulder. Aron then committed the most extreme act imaginable to save himself.